ekusudei: (Star Troupe)
War and Peace
Star Troupe, 1988

Stars: Hyuuga Kaoru & Minakaze Mai

[ TakaWiki ]

Summary:

This arrangement of the War and Peace novel begins about half-way through book two, with the temporary truce brookered between Russia and France. Pierre has already married and become estranged from Hélène, and Prince Andrei's wife Lise has already passed away.

The action of the musical opens at Natasha's first grand ball, where through Pierre's kindness she meets and dances with Prince Andrei, and the two fall in love. In short time Prince Andrei returns to his father's home to talk with his father about marrying Natasha. His father urges caution, particularly when his many absences have already left the burden of raising Prince Andrei's son on his sister's shoulders. Prince Andrei and Natasha thus begin a secret (from society), year-long engagement, and Prince Andrei promises the young Natasha that if she changes her mind or falls in love with another man throughout that year, she is free to break the engagement.

ExpandRead more... )

What I Thought:

I had both a lot of high expectations going into this show, and low expectations.

Low, because I love War and Peace, the novel and the Russian epic film. It's hard to live up to something you imprinted on as a pre-teen. Low. also, because it's 80s Takarazuka. And, finally, because it was written and directed by Ueda Shinji.

High, because I love the story, because it was the last performance for Haruna Yuri and Tajima Kumi, and because Asaji Saki played Kuragin (I had such a crush on Kuragin as a teenager. I know, I'm weird.).

ExpandRead more... )

The costumes were meh, the ballroom dance scenes were epic.

All in all, bits of give and take, but over all I left feeling very happy about it. Surprisingly so, perhaps? In retrospect, it was the perfect vehicle to see off a top musumeyaku and a legend like Haruna Yuri, while still giving juicy scenes to the top star and her nibante.

A-"R"ex

Jun. 15th, 2008 09:24 am
ekusudei: (Yuuhi - The Last Party)
Long delayed, loooong delayed, A-"R"ex review.

A-"R"ex
Moon Troupe Drama City, 2007

Stars: Sena Jun & Ayano Kanami

[ TakaWiki ] [ Takarazuka Precious ]

I was really, really looking forward to this show from the moment that I first heard about it -- my bachelor's degree is in archaeology and things like this make me purr. Then I heard that it would be a really small cast, and I love shows with small casts. Then I heard that Masaki would be playing Hephaestion, and deafened you all with it. <3

... And then people actually started to go see it and it seemed that hardly anyone liked it.

But I perservered.

And, boy, am I glad that I did.

First of all, to explain the circumstances, it's a show by Ogita Koichi, who is rather famous for his rather trippy revue shows. He's done a few actual musicals, but of them, even Orpheus in Spiral was pretty trippy. He likes that kind of cryptic, dreamlike, sometimes downright confusing plot and dialogue that some people would call clever and some would call a sham. ...I suppose I fall into the first category, which is why I enjoyed A-"R"ex.

You'll notice I left out a summary. That's because it's rather hard to summarize. The "plot" consists of the life of Alexander the Great, from his father's death to his own, but most of it is told in voice-overs or narration from Aristotle. What we, the audience, see is a rather psychadelic set of dialogues between Alexander and the gods (and also his mother and a few other characters). Lest you miss the implications, most of the ensemble cast is dressed like hippies. Things discussed include predestination, what the favor of the gods means, what the gods are, etc. etc. A reluctant, taciturn Alexander is persuaded to go to war, and then to march further, and further, and further....

This wasn't really a musical. There was dialogue, but no action. It was an artsy play with some songs. It doesn't hurt that the singers were some of the best that Takarazuka has to offer, including Yashiro Kou, Izumo Aya, and Ayano Kanami.

I heard a lot from people about this being another of Asako's angst shows, but to be honest, I didn't see it. Her Alexander was taciturn and a little sour, but he didn't whine, and we were mercifully free from the fish-mouth, wide-eyed, wild looks of "suffering" that Takarazuka lead otokoyaku tend to sport. Even more refreshing, there wasn't a lot of shouting, to make SURE WE KNEW THEY WERE SUFFERING INTERNALLY. The only time Alexander broke down was for a few minutes in India, and considering the circumstances, I forgive him. Actually, I really liked the interpretation, though I found it hard to believe that someone whom Hephaestion is always assuring us "doesn't hate women; he hates people" could have the kind of charisma that Alexander was famous for.

Another interesting aspect was the breaking down of the fourth wall. Izumo Aya's character Athena would wander in from time to time and scold others, telling them to hurry up and change their costumes or get to their places. All in all, it was very Oggy-like.

Well, I'll stop there. Over all I enjoyed it, and it's something that I know I'll be watching again and again to catch bits that I missed, but I don't think it's the kind of show that will appeal to most Takarazuka fans.
ekusudei: (BAD has never been so GOOD)
I have a rather bizarre fascination with Migiwa Natsuko (Junko), and her Yukigumi. Some of you know this, and are probably hoping right about now that I'm not about to plaster you with more Junko blather. ....Too bad. ;p

She did an interview for Sky Stage's Karei Naru Sotsugyou-tachi in 2003, and she talked about her whole career. It was love. Among other tidbits, we learn that she missed a cue on the first night of her hatsubutai. Apparently she was taking her time in the dressing room, making her makeup just right, when she suddenly heard the music playing that marked her entrance for a dance number.... A dance number with the star of the show and just a few other ken-1s. And something about slippers, which I really need to re-watch because I was tired and dozing off while I was watching it. It might have been that she forgot to take off her indoor slippers when she went out on stage? Needless to say, it sounds like the initiation from hell.

And then she talked about her sayonara performance, and how when asked what she wanted to do, she asked for Berubara. Apparently the reply was a rather exasperated "Berubara?" (I can't put the intonation down properly here, but her imitation was hilarious.) Junko played Oscar in four different Berubara productions, you see. She was rather fond of it.... Anyway, denied that, she asked for a Spanish production. And they gave her.... Sariyukishi Kimi ga Tame ni. Yes, rather a mouthful, I thought. So it really amused me when I heard her say in the interview, "And when I heard the title, I thought it sounded like a nihonmono. It was a little embarrassing." Yes, yes! Exactly as untranslatable as a nihonmono title. XD

For the Sake of Distant You
Snow Troupe, 1980

[ TakaWiki ]

Star: Migiwa Natsuko

Other cast included Asami Rei, Takashiro Tomoe (on loan from Flower), Shou Sumire, Kamijou Akira, and a slew of Senka talents. Check out the TakaWiki for more info.

ExpandSummary: )

What I Thought:

Oh lord. Ueda-sensei did it again. ^^;

Well, let's run through the things standing between me and perfect happiness before I say any more. 1) The generation gap, 2) the cultural gap, 3) Ueda-sensei wrote it, 4) The poor sound and video quality, 5) It's cut down. A lot.

And the things biasing me in the other direction: 1) Junko, 2) Junko, 3) Junko, 4) 70s Yukigumi, 5) Junko, 6) 70S YUKIGUMI, 7) Spanish-themed, 8) Junko ... etc.

ExpandRead more... )

And... I was going to take screenshots of all of my beloved Yukigumi otokoyaku younglings, but... really. How could I miss a second of... that mini revue? It was in turns Love ("Granada" to start things off), and.... caught your attention rather like a gruesome train wreck. More on this tomorrow night. Hold that thought.
ekusudei: (Default)
Marrakech: A Crimson Tombstone
Flower, 2005

Leads: Haruno Sumire & Fuzuki Miyo

[ TakaWiki ] [ TCA Shop ]
[ ENAK Sumire Style GRAPH ]

Since there's such a nice summary up on the wiki, I can skip that bit. ;)

What I Thought:

I- I should have loved this show. I still can't understand why it couldn't hold my attention for more than a few minutes at a time. The music, I will say, is excellent. Very fun "Arabian" flavor to it. The suits are also excellent on Leon's swindlers. Leon is love. Chair-dancing be-suited otokoyaku are love. Suzukake Miyuki's Snake Dancer costume/makeup was awesome.

I think my main problem with this show is that I didn't really care much about the main characters. I realize this is scandalous of me, and I hope Lucia will be able to forgive me one day. ;) But Ludwig never appealed to me. I didn't feel sympathy for him and his tragic past, because it didn't strike me as tragic. Expandspoilers )

As an Osa show I was, frankly, disappointed. But I think this was just a personal preference because I didn't care for the main characters / main story. If it were an option, I would recommend for people to buy the shinjinkoen instead, because the cast acted their little hearts out, and they were adorable. Asaka Manato has gown a lot between that show and where she is now, but I feel certain Sakurano Ayane sprang completely knowledgeable from the womb. She continues to amaze. Also, sleazy underling Hinata San is love. Someday I'll give them their own, proper review.
ekusudei: (Default)
Magician no Yuutsu
Moon Troupe, 2007

Stars: Sena Jun & Ayano Kanami

[ TCA Pictures Shop ] [ ENAK Sumire Style ] [ Takarazuka Precious ]

Where to even begin? Well, I suppose I'll do this one a bit like I did MAHOROBA. This means it's going to be full of spoilers, so I'd avoid it if you want a surprise when you first watch it.

ExpandRead more... )

I know they say that original shows in Takarazuka are written with the cast in mind, but I think that's more apparent for some shows than for others, and probably some playwrights are better at it than others. This show was perfect for this cast, particularly for Asako, Mihoko, and Kiriyan. Mihoko! I didn't really go into her role much in the summary, but her voice was low and not hoarse exactly, but a little rough. And all of her songs tended to be in a lower range than usual as well, and I think it must have been her natural range because it was gorgeous. There weren't a lot of solos in this show, and when there were solos, they were often little scraps of them (for Kiriyan and Mihoko). There were several duets, though, and lots of really, really catchy group numbers. And all of the songs were actually right for the voices of the 'siennes singing them. Oh, I love when they do that.

The stage work was completely fun -- great lighting and lots of uses of all the mechanics (rotating stage, trap doors, etc.). I loved the sets, particularly what they did with the stairs.

The costumes weren't very elaborate, but I liked Asako's black velvet suit and Ai-chan's green dress in particular. And Eri's leather jacket outfit and Yuuhi's vest and combat boots and open-necked shirt and... yeah. .....Ahi's outfit needs to be seen to be believed.
ekusudei: (play without words)
The Rose of Versailles: Oscar
Moon Troupe, 1991

Leads: Suzukaze Mayo & Asano Kayo

[ Takawiki ] [ TCA Pictures Shop ]

Erm. Suspect I won't be forgiven for this anytime soon, but... I didn't much care for it. However, I don't much care for a lot of Berubara, so I'm sure this isn't too shocking to anyone.

I'll keep this short, since everyone knows Berubara.

Things which were good:
* Kuze Seika as Alain: It was nice to see the character of Alain fleshed out a little bit more (this is my first time watching an Oscar version), and I personally thought that Non-chan's acting was the best out of the senior cast members.
* Wakao Risa as Bernard: I never get tired of playing spot-the-choreographer. Wakao-sensei was such a cute otokoyaku.
* Suzukaze Mayo's singing was nice and strong.
* Oscar? Married?: I loved how Amami Yuuki played out Andre's reaction to Jarjayes' announcement. Something about her expression was just great.
* That musumeyaku singing when Oscar visits the slums of Paris for the first time. She was good.
* Cute little French soldiers. <3

Things which were... not so good:
* Over-acted: This is one of the worst Takarazuka performances for acting, no matter which version, and this is no exception. Overdone. Painfully overdone.
* Under-acted: Except, surprisingly, Yuri's Andre was rather bland in some key scenes. Like the scene where they finally get together. She's all: "Oh, hm, that's nice, Oscar." The one character I enjoy watching over-act, and Yuri denied me. Ah well, she was still only ken-5 at the time! Pretty good, all considering.
* The musumeyaku singing tended to make my ears bleed. Also, ugh, sisters.
* Th-the "video" effects. I almost had to turn it off when we were suddenly confronted with a music video of a stunt actress in a bad blond wig riding a horse while Kaname's head floats in mid-air and sings to us. And the slow-motion they added to the death scenes. God, please tell me they re-edited them for the DVD release, at least?
* Getting my hopes up by leaving out that damn ugly "pegasus" and then having sugar plum fairies dancing around instead when Oscar and Andre are reunited in death. I just can't win, can I?
* The pair dance costumes were scary, and I've never seen less chemistry between partners. Awkward much?
* Not enough Asano Kayo.

Things of note:
* Oh, senka cast of awesomeness. <3
* A young Natsukawa Yura
* Maori Yuki still in Tsukigumi

On Suzukaze Mayo: I can see why she is Lucia's favorite Oscar. She certainly gives one of the most feminine portrayals, and yet her singing is strong. But for some reason she really didn't click with me here. Perhaps she was a little too feminine?
ekusudei: (BAD has never been so GOOD)
Akechi Kogorou's Incident Report -The Black Lizard- / Tuxedo Jazz
Flower Troupe 2007

Leads: Haruno Sumire & Sakurano Ayane

[ Takawiki Page ] [ TCA Pictures Shop ] [ ENAK Sumire Style Graph ]

I'll spare you a summary, since there's already one on the wiki. ;) And also, I have no intention of giving away the ending. Trust me, that would take away all the fun.

ExpandImpressions of 'Black Lizard': )

ExpandImpressions of 'Tuxedo Jazz': )

Iri/Demachi:

ZOMG, Hatchi is hot. Ze End.
ekusudei: (Default)
Hee, at long last, a summary for Buenos Aires no Kaze.

I love this show to absolute bits and pieces. Sexy Rika dancing the tango! Rika in leather singing angstily! What more do you need from life, really?

The dancing is great (of course! It's a Rika show!), the singing is great, the acting is great. My Sky Stage copy is the 1998 cast. Poor Tani, she was always getting the chinpira roles back then, wasn't she?

The siblings Ricardo and Lilianna are... very close. o.0 If I were ever to accuse Hankyu of inspiring perfidious thoughts, this would be the show. But Juri-pyon is amazing as Ricardo. I think this is one of my favorite roles for her, if not the favorite.

Saijou Mie is a favorite musumeyaku of mine, so I'm so glad to see her play opposite of Rika. Mmm... sparks.

I really love the minimalist sets. It makes it more gritty and intimate. *hearts theater drama city*

Also, did I mention Rika?
ekusudei: (Asako and Fuu-chan)
I can't help it lately, I'm on a Senka-kick. *grin*

Yashiro Kou is a marvelous lady indeed. She had her hatsubutai in 1968, and has been going strong ever since. You can often find her in 1940-60s period plays, where her acting and singing talents are put to good use. She has a very unique voice for an onnayaku, at it always provides mood when she's singing in the background. Unlike some older, very specialized Takarasiennes, she also usually has an acting part as well as her singing. I especially recommend her in Practical Joke, Glassy Landscape/Babylon, and Gaisenmon.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to find more than her basic stats online, even on the Japanese pages. Anyone have anything else to add? I'm really curious to know what troupes she was in before she was transfered to Senka.


(I really need to update my tags with all the senka actresses....)
ekusudei: (Asako and Fuu-chan)
I can't help it lately, I'm on a Senka-kick. *grin*

Yashiro Kou is a marvelous lady indeed. She had her hatsubutai in 1968, and has been going strong ever since. You can often find her in 1940-60s period plays, where her acting and singing talents are put to good use. She has a very unique voice for an onnayaku, at it always provides mood when she's singing in the background. Unlike some older, very specialized Takarasiennes, she also usually has an acting part as well as her singing. I especially recommend her in Practical Joke, Glassy Landscape/Babylon, and Gaisenmon.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to find more than her basic stats online, even on the Japanese pages. Anyone have anything else to add? I'm really curious to know what troupes she was in before she was transfered to Senka.


(I really need to update my tags with all the senka actresses....)

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